Asus Eee PC Transformer

Asus has released details of the UK launch date and pricing for the Eee Pad Transformer, a Honeycomb Android tablet with a detachable keyboard, and the Windows 7-equipped Eee Slate EP121.

The company also let ZDNet UK go hands-on with both devices. The Eee Pad Transformer, a 10-inch-screen tablet, is shown in the above picture connected to its keyboard. The silver switch just under the hinge is the release catch that allows the two units to be detached.

The keyboard is very similar to that for a Windows laptop. It lacks a Windows key, but it does incorporate dedicated home and search keys. Overall, when the Transformer is attached to the keyboard, the combined unit is indistinguishable at first glance from any other thin, light netbook.

The basic 16GB, Wi-Fi-only version of the tablet itself will launch on 6 April for £379, while a 32GB variant costs £429. The keyboard, which includes two more USB ports and a second HDMI-out, adds another £50 to that cost.

However, the Android 3.0 tablet is slightly cheaper — the lowest-cost iPad 2 is £399 — and has better cameras, with the rear camera having a five-megapixel resolution and the front-facing camera 1.2 megapixels. The keyboard attachment for the Transformer also looks less odd than that available for the iPad, as it uses the tablet in its horizontal rather than vertical orientation.

The Transformer also has a slightly higher screen resolution, at 1,280 by 800 pixels to the iPad 2's 1,024 by 768 pixels. However, the iPad 2 is lighter at 600g, and thinner at 8.6mm to the Transformer's 13mm.

Asus Eee Pad Transformer

Honeycomb users can choose live Google Maps for their background. However, this does not make much sense without embedded 3G connectivity, and an Asus spokesman told ZDNet UK that it will be a couple of months before that variant of the Transformer arrives.

Asus Eee Slate EP121

For those who need Microsoft rather than Google powering their tablet, Asus is about to bring out the Eee Slate EP121.

Based on Windows 7 Home Premium, the EP121 has a 12.1-inch screen, a low-powered Intel Core i5-470UM processor and a fat stylus to help the user navigate Microsoft's non-tablet-optimised OS. It has 4GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD.

As with the Transformer, the EP121's screen is built using Corning's very tough Gorilla Glass. The slate costs £999 and will go on sale on 10 April.